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Maitake
Grifola frondosa
Maitake is the mushroom most people meet under its other name, hen of the woods. It grows in feathered, overlapping clusters at the base of oaks, and it is one of the few species in this line that is as good on a plate as it is in a container.
Updated September 2026
What Maitake is
Maitake fruits as a rosette of grey-brown, spoon-shaped fronds that overlap like feathers, which is where hen of the woods comes from. In the wild it returns to the same oak year after year. Grown commercially, it comes off the block in the same clustered shape.
Fresh, it is one of the great cooking mushrooms. It roasts to a crisp edge, it holds up in a pan without going limp, and it has a deep savory flavor that stands on its own.
The compounds
Maitake is a beta-glucan species. Beta-glucans sit in the cell walls of the fungus and are the compound family most people are reading a mushroom label for in the first place. They are concentrated in the fruiting body, which is a large part of why a powder made from fruiting bodies and one carrying a lot of grain are not comparable by weight.
It also carries other polysaccharides, antioxidant compounds, B vitamins, and ergosterol, the compound a mushroom converts toward vitamin D under light.
How the powder is used
Maitake powder has real flavor, so it earns its place in food rather than in coffee. It is good stirred into soup, pan sauces, gravy, risotto, and scrambled eggs, where it reads as savory depth rather than as a supplement.
A level tablespoon a day is the label serving, and a teaspoon is the lighter start. If you would rather have all seven daily species in one scoop, it is one of the mushrooms in our signature blend.
How much Maitake powder per day
Maitake carries real savory flavor, so a tablespoon goes into soup, eggs, or a pan sauce as easily as into a glass. The table is the arithmetic for our powder.
| One level teaspoon | about 0.9 g |
|---|---|
| One level tablespoon (the label serving) | about 2.8 g |
| A 1 oz container | about 10 servings at a tablespoon a day |
Every row is the arithmetic of our label's serving. None of it is a recommendation for you; ask your own clinician about what is right for you.
Compounds it is known for
- Beta-glucans
- Polysaccharides
- Antioxidants
- B vitamins
- Ergosterol
What people take it for
- Supports the immune system
- Supports metabolic health
- Rich in beta-glucans and antioxidants
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Where to get it
Every daily powder is 100% fruiting body. Here is what that means and how it differs from mycelium grown on grain, or read the rest of the guides.